


Returning Home

by highwayKing



Series: Mi Familia [2]
Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Aftermath, BAMF Victoria, Changing POV, F/M, I'm Bad At Titles, Post-Canon, Post-Movie, author writes late night, characters with issues, hector has issues, i'm making this up as i'm going, imelda has issues, oh man i'm doing this, ratting might change in the future, tags will update, there gonna be feels, they gonna work it out, victoria as voice of reason, warning might change, wild google translate Spanish appeared
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-03-29 14:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13929297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highwayKing/pseuds/highwayKing
Summary: Hector survived the Final Death. However, he didn't wake up and nobody can tell what's happening to him, or if he ever wakes up. With little reluctance the Rivera family takes they wayward family member home and wait for whatever is next to come.





	1. Remember Me When The Sun Is Raising

**Author's Note:**

> Hugely inspired by the amazing Sinclaironfire's series 'Remember Me' and the equally talented Bookwormgal's work 'Like a Gentle Refrain' that I have read at least twice since I found them and are like my bread and butter at the moment. I will also be sprinkling in personal headcanons and maybe stuff I have read that inspired me.
> 
> Get read for a ride, my friends!
> 
> Obligated to say: I'm not a native english speaker and also not a native spanish speaker, the spanish is google translated, if you catch any errors, please tell me, it make me grow as a person with a decent knowledge of grammar.

Imelda held Hector's hand as the rest of her family gathered around them. She could see that uncertainty and worry in their eyes, and no one dared to utter a word. 

A million thoughts were running through Imelda's head, but she pushed them all away. They aren't going to help and she needed to remain grounded. She couldn't afford to lose Hector, not now that he was here on the hard cold ground fading away before her eyes.

Holding his hand seemed to be a good idea. She ran her thumb over the bones gently but firmly to make sure he knew she was here for him and he had to pull through so that he could be here for her as well. After a near century of animosity on her part and foolishly holding on to hope on his part both of them deserved that much.

Imelda hated to feel powerless. And right now she wasn't anything more than powerless kneeling before her fading husband. 

She hadn't called him that for decades now. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was Miguel getting Coco to remember her Papa, a mission that seemed more outlandish by the minute as Hector continued to grow weaker and weaker before her. Her poor mija couldn't remember most things and it was a miracle that she managed to hold on to Hector's memory for as long as she did.

She looked up at her brothers. After her they were the oldest Riveras in the family, and far from helpless, but right now they looked back at her with the same lost expression she was giving them. 

Oscar and Felipe looked at one another. Then Oscar, kneeling as he was, leaned a little closer. "Hector," he began. "Can you hear me? It's me, Oscar. You remember me, right?"

But Hector didn't seem to hear him. He remained as he was, staring out into nothing, and the only indication that he was still alive was from the wheezing breathing that made his rib cage rise and fall. Without it he would have looked dead, or gone in the head. He might already be for all they knew. 

"Felipe is here as well," he said nudging his brother. 

Felipe got the clue and leaned closer. "Si, it's me. Not like you would need help with that."

"You could always figure out who was who."

"No matter how we tried to trick you."

"Tio Oscar, Tio Felipe," Victoria put a hand on Oscar's shoulder. "I don't think he can hear you."

"But it might help," Oscar argued. It was a weak argument, but it was all he had. 

"We can try," Felipe finished.

The rest of the Riveras exchanged a look. Could it be so simple, that talking could ground him for a couple more minutes. Even if it wasn't much that couple of minutes might make the difference. If only they knew what was going on in the Land of the Living, but they could only hope that Miguel is going to succeeded.

Rosita looked over her family. Tio Oscar had the right idea. Worried as they were, they couldn't just sit here and do nothing. But they couldn't do anything either that wouldn't risk harm to the skeleton on the ground. So their best bet was talking, if for nothing else, then to take of their minds of what's happening.

"Tios are right," she said trying to sound reassuring. "We can at least give it a try, right?" and without waiting for a response she did as her Tios did and leaned closer to Hector. "Hola, Hector. You don't know me, but I'm Rosita, I'm your daughter-in-law. I'm also Julio's sister."

She looked over at her brother and sensing that somehow it is his turn Julio started to stammer for some words. But not before respectably removing his hat as he should. "Um, si, si, I'm Julio, um, I married Coco, which makes me your son-in-law, um," he felt stupid for not knowing what to say. He was always the timidest among the Riveras, not as if he didn't had his own bite to him, but that bravery seemed to desert him at the worst of times. 

Julio sighed. "I, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

Victoria, being the last one who hadn't spoken yet, decided to step in. "I'm Victoria," she said, she didn't believed it did anything but it couldn't hurt, at least she can do this much. "I'm Mama Coco's daughter." 

Before she or anyone could have said anything else Hector closed his eyes and they knew that this was it. 

They all fell silent as a yellow light overtook his entire body. Oscar and Felipe bend their heads and took off their hats in respect. The rest followed their example. The only one who couldn't make herself look away was Imelda.

"Hector, look at me," she tried, gone was her confidence and she would have started shaking him if she wasn't afraid that she would do more damage then good. "Just hold on. Miguel promised that he won't let you be forgotten. But you have to stay." 

Please stay, she pleaded silently.

But fate wasn't that kind to them. With every moment passed Hector was fading agonizingly slow. She could see through him already and the minuscule weight of his hand in Imelda's became nothing, as if she was grasping at thin air.

Still, she refused to cry. For centuries Imelda Rivera never shed a tear over anything. She needed to be strong for her family and crying wouldn't help her put food on the table. Now she also wouldn't cry because she held on to hope. Hope that Miguel would manage the unimaginable, that Hector could be saved and Coco could remember.

Then, just as she was about to give up on that as well, a miracle happened. 

Suddenly the yellow light shimmered up again and Imelda thought that Hector would turn into dust right then and there. However, instead when the light faded the nearly-forgotten skeleton didn't vanish, but instead his bones slowly materialized again, as if he wasn't fading at all. The golden light lit up his face markings one last time before everything stopped. 

The Rivera family held their breath as if Hector was a time bomb ready to explode any minute. But when nothing happened they dared to move again. 

Could this be it? Was Miguel successful? Imelda placed a hand on Hector's shoulder and shook him gently when he didn't wake up. 

"Hector," she asked but she didn't got any answer. 

"Is he-"

"-Alright?" the twins asked after one another.

"I don't know?" Imelda hated the uncertainty. If she knew what to do to help her estranged husband then she would do it in a heartbeat. A moment ago she thought she was going to lose him, - the thought made her bones feel cold - but it seemed that he was staying, for now. How long, she didn't know. She was no medica to know these thing.

Medica, that's it! They needed to get him to a doctor, someone who was an expert in the care of the dead, if there was someone who could help it was them.

"Pepita!" she called to her trusty alebrije flew over at the command.

Imelda moved to pick up Hector and her brothers jumped to help without a word.

"What are you doing, Mama Imelda?" Julio asked.

"We need to get him to a medico as soon as possible."

Pepita laid down on the ground so that the three skeletons would have an easier time placing the unconscious man on her back. They were very careful as if Hector was made of glass. At first they didn't know how to put him, but they soon agreed that he should be sitting on the alebrije's back and Imelda got up behind him to support him and keep him from falling down. 

"Um, Mama Imelda?" 

Imelda looked up at Rosita's prompting.

"We have a bit of a- situation," she said and pointed behind her back.

The curtains to the stage of the Sunrise Spectacular was pulled away slightly and curious skeletons were standing there, cameras and microphones in hand, itching to get closer but kept back by the fear of breaking a social faux pas. 

Rosita turned to her niece. "You didn't forgot to turn of the camera, by any chance?"

"It might have slipped my mind," Victoria casually crossed her arms. "We had bigger things to worry about."

Imelda wasn't paying attention to what her family was doing when Ernesto de la Cruz had her great-great-grandson in his clutches. But whatever the consequences of their actions would be she had no patience to deal with it. Her thoughts were solely on getting Hector the help he needed. 

Julio stepped up. "We will take care of this, Mama Imelda," he said, in that moment being every inch of a confident Rivera. 

Imelda nodded and felt a surge of pride rise in her chest. Her familia did their very best, she knew she could always count on them. 

"Oscar, Felipe, come with me," she ordered. "Julio, you, Rosita and Victoria deal with the crowd. I'm sending Pepita after you as soon as I can."

And so, they split up. Her brothers jumped up behind her as soon as she spoke. When she left she could still see the remainder of the family facing the crowd of reporters and curious bystanders. Then Imelda ordered Pepita to fly to the nearest hospital.


	2. Help And Inconvenient Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imelda, Oscar and Felipe arrive to the Hospital. Meanwhile Julio, Rosita and Victoria are surrounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to look over and I'm done for the day.

With a few exceptions the Land of the Dead had everything the Land of the Living had. You could argue that the dead didn't suffer the ailments of the living, and that is true in a sense. While the dead wouldn't die unless they are forgotten, the Land of the Dead ran on memories in more way then one. For example, you might not die of starvation, you might go your entire after life without ever taking another bite of food; but eating was such an essential part of life that the memory caries over and so you would feel hunger and thirst until your satisfy those needs. 

It worked the same with injuries. Logically with no nerves and no brain to feel pain breaking a bone shouldn't even make you flinch. Yet a broken bone was agony and so doctors were still needed on the Land of the Dead. 

Right now Imelda couldn't be more grateful for that. She didn't know what they could do about being nearly forgotten or about the Final Death, but they surely had to know more than her.

Pepita roared as they landed sending a couple of skeletons scrambling to safety at the sight of the terrifying alebrije. Oscar and Felipe worked together in getting Hector off of Pepita's back. 

Imelda hoped that he would wake up during their flight, but his condition didn't seem to get better - at least it wasn't getting worse either, she calmed herself.

With Hector off and securely held by her brothers Imelda turned to her spirit guide. "Fly back, Pepita," she told her running her hand over the alebrije's head. "Bring mi familia here."

Pepita purred and she took off, the wind generated by her powerful wings knocked an unsuspecting man off of his feet. 

"Let's go," Imelda ordered again and the twins followed her inside without a word. 

She held the door open for them. The twin's hands were full with the unconscious skeleton; Oscar had his arms hooked under Hector's while Felipe held up him by the legs. A skeleton weighed virtually nothing, but Hector was almost as tall as Oscar and Felipe and so awkward to carry in any other fashion. That and they still were very much afraid that he could crumble to dust so they did their best to be as careful as they could. 

They got some looks as they walked in. Three perfectly healthy skeletons carrying in a yellowing one dressed in rags was sure to attract some unwanted attention. Right now, the only attention Imelda cared for was one of a medico's so she rolled up her sleeves and got ready to pull of her shoe is needed be. 

Because it was Dia de Muertos only a couple people were in working. However, as expected the holiday came with it's own share of injuries. Merry celebrations tended to get carried away one way or another. Imelda saw a man being supported in with what appeared to be a broken collarbone, another was sitting in the waiting room with his hand caught in a can of some sorts. He was trying his best trying to stay away from an obviously drunken skeleton that was stretching across three chairs, and if he would have been more sober Imelda had no doubt he would get up to try looking for more tequila. 

They walked up to the reception. She leaned over the counter giving the lady behind it her best 'I'm not taking no for an answer' look. 

"We need to see a medico immediately."

"What's you emergency, senora?" she asked. "We are treating cases by urgency." 

"It's my-" she started but stopped herself. Instead she stepped aside letting the lady get a good look at Hector. "He was nearly forgotten and was fading when he was suddenly remembered. Now he won't wake up."

The lady looked shocked. That wasn't good in Imelda's book.

"Por favor, someone has to look at him immediately," Imelda continued.

"We don't know if he will start to fade again," Felipe said. Oscar nodded instead of saying anything.

That seemed to snap the lady out of her stupor. "Un momento por favor," she turned to a microphone on her side and pressed a button. "Calling Dr. Cardozo to the reception," then she turned back to them. "Please wait there, senora." 

If she didn't knew that the medico was coming Imelda would have been annoyed at being brushed aside, but the lady had to speak with other people coming in and so she didn't argue. Instead the three of them were standing there by the wall waiting awkwardly, feeling like a couple of idiotas and trying to ignore the pitying looks they were getting. 

Thankfully, in a couple of minutes a short man with salt and pepper hair and square glasses walked up to the reception and Imelda immediately stepped forward when the lady behind the desk pointed at them. 

"I'm Dr. Cardozo, please tell me what happened."

He was a head shorter than Imelda, but he had this professional air about him that Imelda could respect and was very grateful for. She introduced herself and gave him a quick run down of what happened backstage of the Sunrise Spectacular. Dr. Cardozo nodded and asked a couple of questions which Imelda answered. 

Meanwhile, two nurses pushed a gurney up to them and Oscar and Felipe were gracious for getting the chance to finally put Hector down.

"I have to ask you to wait here, senora y senores," Dr. Cardozo said and he and the two nurses disappeared down the hallway.

They were ushered to a waiting area and Imelda and the twins could finally slump down on an uncomfortable seat after such a long night.

 

Julio didn't know what he was volunteering when he said he and the girls will remain to take care of the crowd. The moment Pepita, the terrifying and intimidating alebrije, was gone they were flooded by questions and surrounded from every side. Cameras were flashing, microphones were pushed into their faces and Julio didn't even know where to turn first.

"Senor, what's your name!?"

"How do you know Ernesto de la Cruz!?"

"Is it true that Ernesto murdered a man for his music!?"

"senora, can you tell us about the living boy!?"

"Can you tell us about the murder!?"

"How did you came across this information!?"

"Who is this Hector!?"

"What happened here, senora!? Can you tell us!?"

"Senor! senoras! Un momento!" 

Julio was about to grab his hat and pull it over his eyes, ready to hide away, his previous courage all gone. "Well, I, um," he stammered. 

Julio looked behind him. Equally surrounded by the reporters and paparazzi were his sister and daughter. They bombarded by the very same questions as him and the people were eager to get their answers. It was a miracle that they weren't tripping over each other to get to them. 

Rosita, being a sweet and lovely thing, didn't know how to handle the sudden aggressive attention. She had no idea what to say. Only moments ago they were mourning over the lose of a man they didn't got the chance to know and now they were treated like celebrities. She had a feeling that this isn't going to end well and she was worried what the crowd might do if they didn't got what they wanted soon. 

Beside her Victoria kept a level head. Of course, she too was worried about the people getting rowdy, but she was sure that Pepita would return before that happened and would protect them if worst comes to worst. Instead she put her hand on her hip - a very Imelda like move that would have made her grandmother proud. 

"We are the Riveras, familia zapateros, finest shoemakers in the whole Land of the Dead," she said with pride but with a matter of fact delivery that left no room for questions.

As soon as she opened her mouth every reporter fought to have their microphone before her. Somebody nearly knocked poor Julio over, but he regained his balance fast and stepped out of the way. 

"Senora Rivera, what can you tell us about the events that transpired tonight!?"

"You saw it with your own eyes, didn't you?" she said "Ernesto de la Cruz is a murderer and a fraud, he tried to murder a living child to keep his reputation spotless. And he might have gotten away with it if me and my Tia hadn't turned on the cameras."

The crowd was drinking up her every word.

"So it was you and the senora next to you who uncovered Ernesto's crimes!?"

"No, that would be Miguel," Victoria crossed her arms. "Although, how he found out about it have I have no idea."

"Who is Miguel!?"

"The living boy de la Cruz tried to murder."

"And what's your relation to the living boy, senora Rivera!?"

"He is my great nephew."

That got the crowd excited. But before they could hit her with another question a might roar broke the people out of their frenzy. From the sky a winged jaguar dropped to the ground shaking the platform they stood on.

Julio was never so happy to see Pepita.

The reporters scurried back for their dear lives. They remembered what the creature did to Ernesto de la Cruz and they didn't wish the same fate on themselves. 

"Ay! Pepita, such good timing," Rosita ran up to the spirit guide. "Good alebrije," she said as she patted her head. Pepita purred contently.

"Nice alebrije," Julio said as well, cautious of the spirit guide as always.

"If she is here, then we should be going," Victoria said going ahead. "Vamos, Papa."

"Si, si, mija," Julio said. 

Victoria climbed up first, then Julio behind her and Rosita last. Julio was afraid that he will fall of so he hugged his daughter for his dear life. 

When they flew off the reporters hurried to get more photos of them before they were completely gone.


	3. Doctor's Verdict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About a not so good talk with Dr. Cardozo and later Imelda coming to a conclusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit heavier chapter with feels. I'm a bit on the fence about how it turned out. I don't think the sentiment came across :/

They have only been sitting for five minutes. But those five minutes were crawling by so slow that each felt like a hour. 

Imelda tried to keep herself from tapping her foot, but her brothers were less collected and took to pacing around. She knew they did it more for the sake of doing something when there was nothing to do, she didn't know how Hector's condition was getting to them but if they were only half as nervous as her then she could understand why they were walking up and down. 

The other people in the waiting area were giving them worried and pitying looks. They most likely came in here with relatives who had little nothing injuries getting checked on. And after all, a worried skeleton in a hospital was never a good sign, triple that and it spelled disaster. 

Imelda wanted to shout at them, but that would get her thrown out. Instead she decided to ignore them and get lost in her own thoughts until three familiar figures came in through the door.

"Mama Imelda!" it was Julio. "Tio Oscar, Tio Felipe!" 

Him, Rosita and Victoria walked in obviously grateful to see them.

"Mi familia," Imelda stood up to meet them. "How did it go?"

"Could have been worst," Victoria said.

"Ay! They nearly eat us alive," Julio complained.

"No manners at all," Rosita said. "They were nearly stepping over each other."

"But Victoria handled the situation perfecto," Julio said with pride.

"Gracias Papa."

Imelda looked over her familia. After such an eventful and dangerous night she could barely stand letting them out of her sight. She didn't wanted to think about it, but they hadn't found out what happened to Ernesto de la Cruz yet, he still could be out there and as long as he wasn't arrested he means danger to her family. What was she thinking leaving them behind like that. 

They stood in silence for a moment letting the tension in the room grow. A couple of the people in there with them started to feel uncomfortable.

"So," Julio asked, suddenly aware that they were the center of attention once again. "How is it?"

"What did the medico say?" Rosita asked. 

Imelda sighed. "Nothing. They took Hector away only a couple minutes ago. I think we will have to wait for a long time before anybody says anything."

As if the energy had been sucked out of them the newly arrived Riveras sat down on the uncomfortable hospital chair. It was a long and exciting day for them as well. 

Imelda went back to her previous place while Oscar and Felipe returned to their pacing. 

However, they didn't had to wait longer then a couple minutes, not like how Imelda expected, as Dr. Cardozo walked into the waiting area.

Imelda stood up and the rest of the Riveras gathered behind her.

The doctor took a look at them. "Are they with you, senora?"

"Si, they are mi familia."

"And the man you brought in? Is he related to your family? I need to know to decide what to tell you."

"Si, he is," Imelda hated how much it hurt to say the words. It felt more like an confession then a simple answer. Behind her the Riveras looked at each other.

Dr. Cardozo nodded. "Would you like to go somewhere private?"

Imelda nodded.

"Then follow me, por favor."

The family followed the medico into his office. Inside nobody dared to sit down.

Dr. Cardozo looked through his meager amount of papers he had with him. His brows furrowed in what they could only imagine was debating what to tell them. Finally he threw the papers on his desk and sighed.

"I think I don't have to tell you that the situation isn't good," he said. "You told me he nearly faded, si?"

"Si," Imelda said. She could still see it before her eyes the way Hector went limp.

Rosita stepped in to assist. "For a moment he was completely see though," she said. "Another minute and he would have been gone."

The doctor nodded. "You have to know that this is a very unique case. I have never seen anyone coming so close to the Final Death and coming back. What happened was nothing short of a miracle."

"But why wouldn't he wake up, Dr. Cardozo?" Imelda asked. "He is remembered, isn't he?"

"What I can tell is that there is no sign of him fading or of what happened to him. If I understand this happened only minutes ago."

All of them nodded.

"Then it's too early to say anything," Dr. Cardozo concluded. "To be sure I want to keep senor Rivera in till tomorrow for monitoring and I would like to talk with my colleagues before we decide what we can do."

Imelda glanced back at her familia. This wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she couldn't force the medico to say things he wasn't sure about. As much as she wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be fine, that Hector will be waking up soon and they can move on with their lives. 

"Can we at least stay?" she asked, surprising the rest of her family.

Dr. Cardozo shook his head. "I'm afraid you can't stay past visiting hours, Senora Rivera," he said.

"And that will be?"

"Till five," the medico said. "Right as we speak the nurses are treating senor Rivera. Unfortunately he had a couple of broken bones that need to be set. Although in his state I highly doubt that they will heal easily."

"I understand," Imelda said. "Can we see him after he is treated?" 

"Certainly. If you have any questions you are free to ask at any time."

They didn't know what to ask. Instead they went back to the waiting lobby, Imelda asked to be informed if anything happens or if they figured out what is going on with Hector. 

Imelda didn't needed to be a doctor to guess what she is going to be told next time Dr. Cardozo comes to them. She knew that Hector was barely remembered, and with him coming back from the Final Death in the very last minute he probably had little chance of recovering. She didn't knew what were the consequences of being forgotten but she could guess. Hector was too tired to even hold up his own hand. Maybe he didn't had the strength to wake up.

But maybe, with time he could recover that strength. If Miguel, that wonderful child, manages to coax more memories out of Coco and share them, then maybe he can get better. After all, being remembered was everything around here. Most people were cherished by those who knew them in their life, be it family or friends people kept going because they were remembered. Some could live through centuries. But she wasn't naive. Everybody knew that people, however beloved and remembered they once been were destined to fade sooner or latter.

She knew that that would be her fate as well. However, it always felt like such a distant thing. Just like in life, the concept of death, even in the Land of the Dead seemed foreign. 

It was funny in a way. She only realized what could happen when she couldn't cross this year. Last night she had been mad over the incompetence of the crossing border and their devil boxes, but deep down she was afraid that it's finally happening. That her familia was starting to forget her. She felt betrayed, hurt, even hopeless and lashed out in anger in hopes that it was only a misunderstanding. Maybe this was how Hector felt when he couldn't cross. 

Suddenly a nurse appeared in the door. "The Rivera family?"

Julio stood up. "Si, it's us."

"You can visit Senor Rivera. One at a time."

Everybody looked at Imelda. Being the head of the family and the only person with the strongest relation to Hector they expected her to be the first to go in. She stood up.

"Show the way, por favor."

She followed the nurse to a small white room, the only color inside was the pleasing blue of the curtain that was half pulled over the window. She thought it was only a last ditch effort in trying to make the place more friendly, but in reality it did little. 

It was a private room with only one bed and painfully bare otherwise. Hector was tucked in, dressed out of his ragged cloths and into a paper thin hospital gown.

The nurse left her alone, telling her that he will be just outside if she needed anything and that she could take her time. 

Left alone with her estranged husband was weird and to tell the truth, Imelda had no idea what to do. 

She looked him over. The medical tape used to hold together the broken bones stood out against his yellowed color. He looked fragile and Imelda thought that if she were to take his hand he would be just as brittle and light to the touch then before. 

She debated pulling over a chair and sitting down by him. A moment ago she would have done anything to be by his side, but now that she had seen him still here and being unnaturally still in a too white hospital room she was overcome by tiredness. She wished that she was back in her home and that she could collapse onto her bed and sleep. It was selfish but they had an eventful night behind them and she and her family deserved some rest.

There was nothing she could do for Hector standing here nearly falling over with drowsiness. He would be in good hands with the doctors, and they should probably give them space so that they could figure out whats going on and how to help.

But she couldn't leave without saying goodbye first. 

Deep down she knew it was pointless, there was no way that Hector could hear her. But it was an effort she felt she had to put in. No, it was something she wanted to do. So she gently took his hand into hers.

"Hector," she said trying not to think about how his hand felt just as fragile as earlier "I don't know if you can hear me, or that you are still in there, but if you are I want you to know this. You have to wake up, you will wake up, and when you do I want us to talk. We have lost so much and I want-"

She stopped. She wasn't sure what she wanted. Last night was a roller-coaster in every sense and she realized that she still loved Hector, her musico estupido. 

She was still mad. A century of hate and resentment wont just vanish in thin air as if it was nothing in mere minutes. But she knew now that there was more then what she knew and that it was time for her to give him a chance to talk. This could be her- their second chance. 

As she thought about it Imelda realized that she wanted that second chance. She deserved that much, and she owned that much to Hector.

"I want us to try again, Hector. I want to give us another chance. Don't you dare to fade away right now. Now that both of us are here."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Then with a sigh she left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I have, people! And it's officially midnight where I'm so I'm of to bed. I'm going to have a busy tomorrow and an even busier week after that so I have no idea when I will have time to write. :'(
> 
> In the next chapter I'm planing to have the Rivera family think about what happened so far.
> 
> I'm way too tired to stay up. Goodnight/day to you all.


	4. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rivera family returns home and can't seem to take a break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I appreciate all the nice comments you have been leaving :) 
> 
> This is the longest chapter I have written as of yet, it's also full of characters thinking and little to no action, I also put some tiny headcanons in there.

Technically it was still morning but it felt as if an entire day went by already. After Imelda exited the small room that Hector was kept in the rest of the Riveras took a couple of minutes to go in as well, if for nothing else, then to pay respect and make sure that he was truly fine. Then, at Imelda's unopposed order they headed back to their home. Dr. Cardozo saw them out and promised to call if anything were to happen.

They took a silent trolley ride home. Everybody was returning from the Land of the Living around that time and the traffic was despicably slow. Felipe and Oscar lamented that they didn't get to see their living family that year but after that everybody just tried to quietly survive the crowd that gathered in the trolley car until the ride was over. Then it was only a short walk to get to their home.

The Rivera family lived in one of the nicer neighborhoods. Their home was reminiscent to the one they had in the Land of the Living and so they furnished it and assigned rooms similar to how it was in their lives. With the twin's exception who shared their room, everybody had their own place to retreat for a bit of an alone time. The workshop and store in the front were just as big as in their living home, however thankfully the storage was a bit bigger making their afterlives that much easier. Their yard was simple with well worn out ground, the only greenery that cheered up the place was the patches of flower beds that ran along the wall that was Rosita's pride and joy and in which up-keeping every family member had to help out once or twice.

Right now they were sitting in the kitchen where they would usually eat. Even if they were all tired and wanted nothing more then to finally crash into their beds Imelda insisted that they should at least have breakfast before that.

They didn't argue. Rosita and Victoria volunteered to make something, after looking through what they had they decided on a quick to make omelet with a simple salad on the side, they wouldn't have the energy or the patience to make anything more time-consuming. Meanwhile Oscar and Felipe set the table and Julio went over to the shop to make sure that it was closed up and everything was in order.

Imelda, well she sat down on her usual chair tired to the bone. She didn't remember feeling this exhausted before in her life.

There was a loud thud coming from the roof. Pepita had arrived. It wasn't often that the alebrije stuck around, but after this night Imelda had a feeling that they are going to see more of her around then usual. 

They eat breakfast in an uncomfortable silence. They were always lively around the table, they would be talking about little nothings here and there, about everything and nothing at the same time. These talks would always come easy to people so close to one another. But now everybody felt weird, maybe because they were tired or because they were still shaken up by the night's events. It felt strange. With the exception of Imelda, who was content with eating quietly, the rest of the family were glancing at each other thinking that maybe they should be talking about something.

Imelda noticed it, but chose not to comment on it.

Julio was the first one to break. "Would anybody mind if I turned on the radio?" 

There wasn't any objection so he stood up and walked to the kitchen counter were the radio - a rusty old thing compared to what's out there nowadays but still trusty, - was standing. 

It would be odd for a music hating family to have a radio in their very own home. They wouldn't have even thought about purchasing one if it wasn't for the fact that they wanted to be up to date with the happenings of the Land of the Dead, and to their luck they managed to stumble upon a channel that rarely if ever broadcaster music, instead it was more of a news channel that concentrated more on interviews and talk-shows. 

It wasn't often that they listened to it, but it would occasionally be playing in the background now and again. This was the perfect occasion to have it on, just to break the tenseness of the room.

However, Julio immediately regretted turning on the radio when that was playing the uncut interview with him, Rosita and Victoria from earlier that day. Well, they were fast to air it. 

"Turn it off, Julio," Imelda said, she had little patience for that.

"Yes, Mama Imelda," Julio returned to his seat a bit worst of wear. Rosita gave him a little reassuring smile.

 

After breakfast everyone went to their room eager to finally get some rest. 

Imelda, now dressed in her nightgown, was laying in her bed. No matter how tired she was before sleep didn't seem to come to her now. She blamed the light coming from outside first and got up to pull over the blinds, but she laid back down knowing that it did nothing.

She didn't have a heart anymore but something in her chest was aching. During the span of a couple of hours her life, that had settled into a comfortable routine though the ages, was turned on it's head. What started as another celebration of Dia de Muertos, visiting her family and spending the day reminiscing on fond memories turned into a wild and frantic chase after her cursed great-great-grandson. Then she was reunited with good for noth- no, she didn't wanted to think of him like that anymore - husband. And she had even sung.

Oh, how powerful she felt there, singing on the stage. Nothing ever made her feel like this. It was as if a huge weight had fallen off of her shoulders as she danced. 

Being grabbed by Ernesto was terrifying knowing that the man wouldn't shy away from murder. Thinking about him filled her with rage. She remembered this feeling, it was a feeling that she had held on to in her earlier days when she was learning to make shoes and looking after her Coco. Back then she was mad at Hector with every fiber of her being, but now she knew that she had placed blame on the wrong person. Had she found out sooner about what happened all those years ago maybe things would have turned out differently. She wouldn't have lost so many years of her life hurting.

So many options ran through her head about what she should have done. For a moment she thought she should have taken a wild chance and gone after the musicos. What she could have done after that she had no idea but it would have been better then sitting in ignorance, shutting her husband out of her life and her family until he is forgotten. 

But you know what they say about hindsight.

She couldn't wallow in self pity any longer. She was Imelda Rivera, the woman who built a business and a family even when everybody looked at her as if she had gone mad. She wasn't a woman to weep over what can't be changed. Like it or not she was the head of her house and soon she would have to make important decisions. 

Ernesto de la Cruz was still out there. She needed to find out what happened to him after Pepita marched on stage to take care of the criminal who dared to mess with her family. Then she had to find a way to nurse Hector back to health. That might be harder then it seemed but if she had to she wouldn't let Dr. Cardozo to rest for a moment until he came up with something useful. 

 

Oscar and Felipe never had any trouble sharing a room. In life they had been inseparable, and it only made sense for them to stay that way in their death as well. 

Their room was comfortable, homely, however this morning as the tried in vain to go to sleep it was anything but that. The light escaped into the room despite the blinds and right now they wanted to do anything but to sleep. Oscar was tossing and turning and he went to Felipe's nerves. In turn Felipe would mumble something about an uncomfortable bed and being to bright to sleep, and that would grind Oscar's nerves.

As much as they enjoyed each others company, they could have enough of it as well. 

"Could you stop that?" they said in unison. Then they realized how silly they were being an apologized. Still, it was impossible to rest. They were much to awake for that now. 

"What do you think it is going to happen now?" Oscar asked.

Felipe looked over at his twin. Oscar was the oldest between them. In their younger years that filled him with arrogance and he thought he knew everything better then his younger brother. Even today he acted like that from time to time, habits never die. 

"I don't know," Felipe said. "Can you believe what happened today?"

"It was crazy."

"And scary."

"And we even dressed up as Frida Kahlo."

That got a chuckle out of them. Then a somber atmosphere settled on them. 

"The more I think about it the more unbelievable it seems," Felipe said.

"Si," Oscar nodded laying back on his back. "I never thought that we get to meet our great-great-grandnephew, while he was alive."

"Miguel is a great kid. I wish we could have spent a bit more time together."

"He almost died," Oscar reminded him.

"Si."

"So, what do you think it is going to happen?" Oscar asked again. Hector was back, as back as one who was almost forgotten could be. For years they didn't even dared to speak his name in the house and like Imelda they had been mad at him for leaving their sister. However, after a couple of years filled with a growing business and a growing family they all forgot about the man, as if he never existed, just as how Imelda wished. Once they arrived to the Land of the Dead they hadn't even thought about tracking him down to get some answers from him. 

But not so long ago they helped Imelda rush Hector to the hospital, and Imelda was hellbent on having them informed if something happened. So maybe things were going to change? Maybe music will be allowed back into the house. Maybe their sister can finally start healing for real.

"I don't know," Felipe said again lamely.

"But things will change."

"Si."

They fell silent and continued to stare at the ceiling. Then Oscar returned to tossing and turning and Felipe mumbled something about the light. 

 

Julio was tired to the bone. He hadn't felt like an old man in ages, since he passed to be exact. Being dead had it's own perks, mainly that they had no muscles to ache after a hard day of work and even if they were ready to fall asleep on their feet it was never like how it used to be when age was making their joints creak.

He had his regrets for the day. He regretted not being able to cross this year to see his family, and he was sure that he wasn't alone with that. It was the only chance he got to see how their family was doing, how much his great-grandchildren had grown, how his grand-kids were doing or how his dear Elena was running the house. But most importantly, it was his only chance to see his Coco, the love of his life. He knew that it was only a question of time for Coco to join them in the Land of the Dead. And he couldn't wait to hug his wife close to him once again.

Oh, how he missed her. It had been a year since he had seen her and it broke Julio's heart how quiet his love had became. 

Every time Julio visited he made sure to give her the best hug he could give in his invisible skeleton form and tell her how much he missed her. Julio knew that she can't hear him, but it made him feel better. It was all he could do since life and death separated them.

Now that he thinks about it, Julio used to spend nights like this, just laying in bed thinking, when sleep didn't come over his eyes. 

It was too bright outside to sleep and so he was left thinking just like back then. 

Back then Julio often wondered about what kind of man Coco's papa was. What kind of man could abandon such a wonderful, confident woman. He never met the man, didn't even had the idea who he might have been, but he was sure that if he ever came across him he would punch him straight in the teeth - most likely after Imelda. 

Julio wasn't a violent person. Fighting was the furthest thing from him. Even his sweet sister had more aggression in her then Julio did. But he was ready to make an exception. 

Then he gradually forgot about it. Coco's papa soon became just the headless figure on an old photo, and after Imelda's death Julio knew that there was no way for that musico to return. He would have grown too old sooner or latter he would die wherever he was, if he wasn't dead already.

He was ashamed to admit that the thought of that nameless man gone for good made him sleep better at night. That way he could never come back and hurt his family anymore. 

Now he didn't know what to think. He remembered Coco's sad eyes every time she looked at the thorn photo, how she was waiting for a man that will never return. Then he remembered meeting Hector last night, and he wasn't the boogeyman sort of figure Julio made him out to be in his mind. 

He felt bad for him. How couldn't he? The man was fading away, dying before them. Then the whole Ernesto thing happened, Miguel nearly died, then Hector nearly died but managed to survive and then they were surrounded by reporters - something Julio never wants to experience ever again - and that left them where they were now, returning from the hospital feeling useless, tired and sleepless. 

He didn't know what he hoped for from the future. But he would appreciate it if everything was alright for once.

 

Rosita was wide awake. The excitements of the day still rattled in her chest. If she still had a heart she would probably feel it burst by now. She wanted to get up and do something, but at this point if she were to make a clatter downstairs she would only disturb the rest of her family. Although, she was sure that they were getting just as much rest as she was.

While most people thought that Rosita, because of her sweet charming nature, liked peace and quiet and excitements would offend her sensibility. While they were mostly right, Rosita also loved the hustling and bustling of everyday life. She loved the business of the workshop, the liveliness of the shop before a big events that required people to buy new shoes. She even loved that colorful market with so many people and colors and smells, it reminded her of her old life back in Santa Cecilia, when she and her brother would run off to Mariachi Plaza listening to music, dancing and having fun. Of course that was before Julio met Coco, and before she and her brother became part of the Rivera family. 

Giving up music was hard for her and Julio, but the welcoming Riveras more then made up for it. She still missed it, but for her family she would make that sacrifice. She could understand Imelda's reason for banning music. While she never had her heart broken before, she was a hopeless romantic and she understood what sorrow felt like, what Imelda, this wonderful and strong woman, a kind of person you only meet once in your life time, must have felt.

Rosita had never been mad at this mystery man. She felt like it wasn't her place to comment on it, not like how her brother felt about it. But she wasn't on his side either. 

She never knew what to make of a man she never get to know, and Imelda and her brothers seldom if ever talked about him. His presence had been banished from the house and that was it since she could remember.

In Rosita's opinion there was little reason to dwell on something that can't be changed.

And then last night happened. Dia de Muertos was never this exciting or eventful. Or frightening. 

Rosita was overjoyed to meet Miguel in person. How couldn't she? She loved children and she watched the boy grow up year after year. He was such an adorable baby and had grown into an equally adorable kid. Then he ran away and they spent all night searching for him, all while she worried where the boy could have went and counting the minutes in her head, dreading how much time there was till sunrise. 

And then Hector came out of nowhere. 

She remembered him as the guy who tried to run past security to cross over to the Land of the Living. Rosita felt sorry for him then, in that moment however she didn't know what to feel. The ragged skeleton facing Imelda's scrutiny was sympathetic for a bleeding heart like her, but on the other hand this was a man she was supposed to hate. 

But now, everything was hanging in the air. Imelda did everything she could to get Hector the help he needed after it looked like he isn't going to fade away. And then she wanted to know more, and if she had to guess, tomorrow she would be back in the hospital as soon as she could. 

Those wasn't the actions of a woman who despised her husband and the romantic in Rosita started telling her that something could bloom between them still.

She quickly shooed those thoughts away. They were inappropriate. They didn't even knew if Hector would wake up or if he is going to be welcomed back into the family after a century of being exiled. 

It was still to early to tell. But Rosita was an optimist. And the optimist in her told her that it was worthy to hope for something.

 

Victoria knew herself better then to waste her time trying to sleep. She wouldn't get any rest no matter how tired she felt after a night of running around. So instead of her bed she went to her bookshelf to look for something to pass the time. 

Usually, after Dia de Muertos, her family would return home, have something light to eat - courtesy of Rosita - and they would spend the day talking about their family, about how much the Land of the Living changed since they left it, about all the new things they got to see, about the home or the business and everything and anything. Victoria didn't always participate in these talks, she was never the talkative one, but of course that was never an issue in the family. The rest spoke enough as it is. 

For her Dia de Muertos wasn't that big of an event. She took it easy and was satisfied with seeing her Mama and Elena and learning how her family was doing and what changed since the last time she saw them. It was the quiet she liked. Just to be in her mother's presence even if she couldn't see her, even if her Mama wasn't spry and youthful as she still remember her as. And Elena, her dear sister, Victoria missed her so much. When their were little they were each others best friends and everybody thought that when the time comes they are going to lead the house together. 

Then came Victoria's unfortunate death. The family was crushed, but no one more the Elena. Victoria didn't regretted anything, she lived a long life, she buried those who died before her with a heavy heart, she saw her niece and nephews grow up and merry. She lived it all, she was content.

Last night was a real mess if she was thinking about her past life. 

She took of a book from the shelf in a fancy, it was a crime novel she read some years ago. She remembered enjoying it, even going to great lengths to tell her family about the plot. 

With book in hand she sat down on her armchair by the window and started reading. But no matter how much she tried she couldn't concentrate on the words. Her thought's constantly went back to the night before, and to her life before. She kept thinking about what could have been if her grandfather stayed. What it would have been if he was part of her life?

Elena often talked about her distaste for the faceless man on the old family photo. She said that it was better that he is forgotten. And Victoria agreed with that completely. However, now she knew what that meant. What it looked like when someone was forgotten and no matter what crimes one committed she couldn't find herself to wish that on anyone.

When she was a little girl she often wished that her family was normal. She and her sister were ridiculed for their family's ban on music - those bullies were quickly silenced by Elena's frightening aim with a shoe. And when she caught her Mama and Abuela in a weaker moment, when it was obvious that they were thinking about the man who abandoned them, Victoria felt betrayed. 

This was a man that was supposed to be there for his family. He should have never left, he should have been here for his wife and daughter and the family that grew around them.

And as selfish as it was she wanted an Abuelo, like all the other little girls in Santa Cecilia. Life could have been perfect, they could have had music, and shoes and a big happy family where nobody was hurt.

But it couldn't be helped. It was done and now Hector was sprung onto the family and when he wakes up, if he ever wakes up, they would have to deal with it. 

Victoria knew that that was going to be the most difficult conversation this family was ever going to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think in the comments :)
> 
> Life is busy like always, but if everything goes well I will be able to post the next one tomorrow. I have to warn you all before hand that I brought in three more oc's beside Dr. Cardozo. They are going to remain minor characters, but I'm already attached to them so they are going to be doing their own thing now and again.
> 
> Like always, let me know if you catch any mistakes. You can tell me in the comments, it's not a big thing.


	5. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Cardozo's colleagues arrive like knights in shining armor only to be met with a cold reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, this is an oc chapter. I put a lot of headcanon's in this one about how a hospital would work and society's relation to the nearly-forgotten. I love Shantytown and I think I'm going to touch on the subject more in the future either in this fic or something after this. I already decided that this is going to be long, guys.

Dr. Juan Cardozo had seen the Final Death more in his afterlife then he ever wanted to. Despite what the masses wanted to believe people do get forgotten. As life moves on in the Land of the Living it was inevitable that sooner or latter you are going to be forgotten by those who moved on. Distant grandchildren can't be expected to remember a man or woman from the past who might have been important for their parents or grandparents, but they never knew personally. Some stories linger, are told and remembered still about them, and maybe they are even up on the ofrenda out of respect and thus they can remain. 

But it happened with everyone eventually. And when that happened they were often brought to the hospital in hopes that something can be done for them. 

Talking about to inevitable to worried and often times stubborn and irritated family members was the hardest part of Dr. Cardozo's job, both in life and in death. 

Usually the family would just take their fading loved one home so that they could spend their remaining days among family and friends. And the doctors would give them medicine, the Land of the Dead equivalent of painkillers that would keep the discomfort to a minimum. 

However, they were cases when the family stayed in the hospital. It could either be because the episodes came to fast to take the patient home, or because they were waiting for a miracle or were desperately ordering the doctors and nurses to do something. The doctors understood and let them stay, and they looked over the patient the best they could. But they couldn’t bring them back, couldn’t make them be remembered again at the snap of a finger.

It never got easy. When he first arrived to the Land of the Dead and found his new job as a doctor, - continuing his profession after being educated about what ailments a skeleton could have - and he had witnessed his first Final Death he was told that it would become easier as time went on. Just like in the real word. 

He knew that it was just what they said. It was easy to say that it is going to become better, easier. But it never did. They just got better at handling it. 

Still, every Final Death was like a failure that can't be turned around. He was supposed to be the person who could help and he was just as powerless as anyone else.

He was standing with the same feeling of uselessness before Senor Rivera's room. Dr. Cardozo was waiting for his colleagues, three of them to be exact, who he managed to call in a short notice to take a look at a spacial case. Once told over the phone what happened to the young man left in his care his friends were more then eager to drop everything and rush over. 

Dr. Cardozo was relieved that they were coming. It was impossible to get anyone here during the holidays, despite it being the high time for injuries. He was just glad that he wouldn't have to be the only one trying to figure out what to do. Tomorrow he had to give an answer to Senora Rivera and time was running short.

His colleagues arrived in mere minutes, true to their words. Valentina Sanchez, Sofia Amador and Matias Belmonte were good and reliable friends and professionals in their fields. If Dr. Cardozo was sick he would happily put his life in their hands.

"We came as soon as we could, Juan," Dr. Belmonte said. "Tell us what happened."

"Did I understood right that a man came back from the Final Death?" Dr. Sanchez asked. "I never heard that happen before.”

"Me neither," Dr. Cardozo shook his head. "Shall we go in?"

It was a rhetorical question. Dr. Cardozo already had his hand on the handle before he finished speaking, the rest followed him inside as discretely and calmly as they could. If the doctor had to guess, seeing four medico enter a room was a terrifying sight for anyone to behold.

Senor Rivera was just how he was left. Since he was brought in he hadn't moved an inch. He looked as if he was truly dead - more dead then an already deceased man could be.

Dr. Amador hissed at the sight. "Isn't he a nearly-forgotten?" she asked. 

True the difference between a nearly-forgotten and a previously remembered who is being forgotten is drastic. While those who are often treated here are people who are being forgotten ‘suddenly’ were well loved and taken care of before and so they were in a healthy state - or healthy despite being forgotten. While the nearly-forgotten lived on the edge of the Final Death for so long, only kept here by some wayward memories of who-knows-who that their bones began to gray, they markings started to fade and their bones would break more easily and healed a lot slower, if at all.

"It seems," Dr. Cardozo said. "Although the people who bought him in claimed to be his family."

"Then why does he look like-" Dr. Amador gestured generally at Senor Rivera "-this?"

"That's non of our business," Dr. Sanchez reminded her. "But if he is a nearly-forgotten then there is nothing we can do."

Dr. Belmonte nodded. "True. We rarely treat people like them."

Dr. Cardozo started to feel the room grow cold. No matter what field of expertise or social background you came from, the subject of the nearly-forgotten was always a sensitive one. The stumbling, falling apart skeletons with their cracked yellowed bones weren't a pleasant sight to behold. No wonder they have been ushered down to the slums - where they mostly were content to stay - so that people wouldn't have to look at them. They weren't a pretty sight to behold, and people didn't appreciated being reminded what could have been if they led a different life before their deaths. 

The good Dr. Cardozo's heart was breaking for them. He, like everyone else in the Land of the Dead, never went down to the slums. Shantytown was for the forgotten while the rest of the Land of the Dead was for the remembered. This is how it had been long before anyone could remember, and as far as Dr. Cardozo knew nobody was in a hurry to change anything. 

Dr. Cardozo only saw a nearly-forgotten only once before. It was years ago, and elderly woman was brought in. He wasn't the one assigned to treat her but he managed to get a good look at her. Her bones were gray and pieces were chipped off, not to mention the countless cracks and cuts that seemed to be everywhere on her body. The cloths she had on weren't in better condition either, they were full of stitches and holes that she couldn’t bother to fix anymore. However, she was the nicest little old lady you could ever meet; he remembered thinking that she would have made an amazing abuelita to someone if she would have been given the chance.

What happened to her after that he had no clue. All Dr. Cardozo knew was that she left as soon as she could, most likely she was back in Shantytown, if she... He quickly discarded that thought.

"What should we do then?" Dr. Amador asked.

"Nothing," Belmonte shrugged. "We can't do anything."

His apathy angered Amador. The old woman's brows furrowed as she looked up at her taller colleague. "And you are going to leave it like that? We are medicos for goodness sake! If someone then we are supposed to be able to do something."

"You think I don't know that?" Belmonte glared down at the woman. "So please, tell me what are we supposed to do? You know that once you go down on that road there is no coming back."

"And what do you propose? Give up and do nothing? Matias, I respect you as a doctor and a friend but I have to question your devotion to your profession. This is a life we are talking about," Dr. Amador said. She was a passionate woman despite what her serious business woman appearance might have led people to believe. And she wasn't shy to give voice to her thoughts. "This man has a family to return to, Matias. And we are going to find a way to wake him up!"

"You think I'm heartless, Sofia!? I'm not! I want to help but I can't!"

"Everybody calm down," Dr. Sanchez stepped between the two, breaking up the two warring parties before the situation could have escalated further.

To be honest he never expected that the usually friendly Belmonte and the ambitious Dr. Amador would jump at each others throat. Not to mention so quickly. He and Sanchez were listening to the encounter, glancing at each other, daring the other to do something.

Dr. Amador ran her hand through her tightly tied hair and some locks escaped. "Lo siento. I don't know what got into me."

"Si, me too."

Dr. Sanchez shook her head. "Get yourself together," she said. "I know that we don't treat the nearly-forgotten, but there is no reason to panic. Juan," she turned to Dr. Cardozo "What was Senor Rivera's condition when he was brought in?"

Dr. Cardozo was grateful for her taking charge. "Roughly the shape he is in now. He had lost of breaks and fractures on his bones that had been treated as much as they could be. However I doubt they would heal at a normal rate." 

“Ya veo,” Sanchez nodded. "Do you have a treatment plan in mind?"

"No," he said. "Since he was brought in his condition hadn’t changed and his bones seem to be too fragile to try anything just yet. I fear that anything we might try at this point could cause more harm."

Dr. Amador and Dr. Belmonte stood back to give space to the other two medicos. They were still ashamed of their previous behavior so they shut their mouths and listened intently.

"What do you suggest?" Dr. Sanchez asked.

"To tell the truth, I don't know," Dr. Cardozo admitted. "I never seen anything like this."

"You said that he was fading. I don't see any sign of it. Are you sure that this wasn't an episode of being forgotten and not the actual Final Death?"

"No. I asked Senora Rivera and she described the Final Death accurately," he said. "I think that he might have been remembered again and that stopped the process."

"That was very lucky," Belmonte spoke up "How likely is it that you are remembered in the last minute you are about to disappear?"

"But doesn't that mean that he could still be forgotten?" Dr. Amador asked. 

Dr. Cardozo nodded. 

The four medicos stood there useless. Dr. Belmonte was scratching the top of his head. He heated being right, that often meant that they were in deep trouble. And his previous outburst didn't help his situation. He had no idea how he can turn this around.

"How about," he said suddenly. "How about waiting?"

Dr. Amador looked up. "Waiting? Matias, you can't be serious. What if-"

"We wouldn't be able to do anything no matter what happens," Belmonte interjected. He wanted to stress that he was right, no matter what happened next they wouldn't be able to do anything. Senor Rivera's fate was dependent on being remembered, something only the living could help with. However, that was their silver lining, as absurd as that sounds.

"He might fade, si," he continued. "But there is the chance that he could get better."

Dr. Sanchez nodded this time. "Matias is right. He might get better he might not, it's still to early to tell. I say we wait for now."

Dr. Cardozo agreed with this. "The first hours are crucial. Tomorrow we might know more."

Amador's shoulder's dropped as she sighed. "I'm going to do some research into this. Maybe there is something in the library we don't know about."

Dr. Cardozo highly doubt that there would be any hidden knowledge about the Final Death in the library- in any library in fact. But Dr. Amador was already out the door and without any further conversation Dr. Belmonte followed after her. 

Dr. Sanchez took of her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. It was easy to tell that she wasn't happy with rushing here and not being able to do anything. She put back her glasses, politely told Dr. Cardozo that he can call her at any time and she was gone as well. 

Dr. Cardozo sighed. What was he going to tell the Riveras tomorrow? He too left. The day was still young and other patience needed his attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I have to get back to life, sorry people. I started writing the next chapter, it's 30%-ish done. Sadly I have a lot of things to do and I'm traveling home for Easter soon so I doubt I can post next week. But if I can help it I will try.
> 
> In the meantime if you want to talk about Coco with me I'm highway-king on tumblr.


	6. Welcomed News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imelda makes a pleasant discovery and finds a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for dropping of the face of Earth, guy. Life just drop kicked me in the spine with the enthusiasm of a gleeful psycho, one more month till exam season kicks in, and I'm hoping to put out more chapters, but I don't want to promise thing, sorry for that :/
> 
> Also, an open letter for Diana Lauer who left a review on ff.net:  
> both highwayKings are me, however that site is mostly abandoned by now. I would love if I can promise regular updates, but sadly I can't. Writing fanfiction sank down to the fourth place of my priority list, unfortunately. I'm still going to do my best to finish it!

Next morning couldn't come fast enough for the Rivera family. Through out the day an unidentifiable nervous tension was growing in the house. 

By noon the Rivera family was up. And once they were awake everyone tried to spend the day best to their abilities, trying to enjoy the off day they got. After Dia de Muertos they would stay closed for the following day like any sensible business. And while they knew it wasn't likely that they would open on the next day they had a feeling that tomorrow will worse. 

Changes were coming. That was clear as day, and for some reason nobody knew what to make of it. It was all to sudden.

The nervous fidgeting and useless up and down pacing was interrupted by Rosita who couldn't stand it anymore.

She stood up, went to the guest room and started cleaning it. They all knew what for but when Oscar and Felipe went to stop her - after all they didn't know if Hector will be brought here or not - Imelda said to let her do whatever she wanted. They didn't knew what to make of that either. 

Soon after, Imelda went out into the city to ask around what happened after the Sunrise Spectacular. Thankfully nobody recognized her as the mysterious woman singing on stage with Ernesto de la Cruz, yet. At the moment the exact event of the show were pushed to the background, thankfully. It was still too fresh, like a newly acquired wound still bleeding, and everyone was talking about Ernesto throwing a living boy, the one everybody was talking about all Dia de Muertos, off of a building so high it would shatter every bone in a skeleton. 

Imelda went straight to the De la Cruz Plaza, where the Sunrise Spectacular's stage was still standing untouched. It seemed she wasn't the only one who had the idea to come here to find out what happened. It seemed like nearly half the Land of the Dead turned up here and the plaza was so packed with people, counting from snooping civilians from overeager reporters, that it was hard to find a passage between them. 

Navigating this crowd seemed to be it's own form of art. And a certain artist was up for that challenge.

A hand landed lightly on Imelda's shoulder and she spun around just to come face to face with the one and only Frida Kahlo. 

It was nothing short of a miracle that a famous woman like Frida could walk around in a crowd like this undisturbed. But everyone was so occupied with everything else that was going, and only an occasional fan stopped her for attention. 

Never in her life Imelda expected to meet celebrities, so she was beyond surprised when last night Hector and Miguel dragged her and her family before the famous artist herself just to end up dressed like her to sneak in to the show unnoticed. She still couldn't believe that it actually happened. But then again, last night was crazy so what was that on the top of everything.

However she wasn't expecting being stopped by her of all people.

"Senora!" she said with a smile "I had a feeling we will meet again. You have been fantastica last night, truly inspirador! I haven't had the time to put the pictures on canvas yet but it's going to be magnificent."

Imelda looked her up and down. Frida's monkey alebrije was hanging of her shoulder casually while the skeleton was looking at her with a shine in her eyes. As if she was a muse for her. Imelda had no idea how to deal with that. Or how to feel about that. "Um, gracias?" she finally said. 

Frida extended a hand with a small reassuring smile on her face. "I hadn't introduced myself. Frida Kahlo, painter."

That was more like it. Imelda, regaining her confidence, took her hand into a firm shake. "Imelda Rivera, shoemaker. Encantada de conocerte."

"Likewise," Frida nodded. "Now tell me what are you doing here, amiga? I thought we wouldn't see much of you after last night."

"Don't mention it," Imelda sighed. "I'm still tired to the bone. But I'm here to find out what happened with that musico bastardo. He didn't get the beating he deserved."

"Indeed," Frida said seriously. "But you are in luck. Ernesto de la Cruz is still trapped under that bell. The police are still debating what to do with him."

"Bell? What bell?"

She chuckled. "The one your elsplendida alebrije flung him at. I think they are going to show that on tv for years to come."

Somehow that was both reassuring and concerning. Imelda gave thanks to her granddaughter and daughter-in-law for their quick thinking. It was never their goal to expose Ernesto for the monster he was. But Imelda was sure that she wouldn't let him get away with trying to murder her great-great-grandson, even if she would have had to spend the rest of her afterlife in jail she would have gone after the man and pound him into fine dust. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity for it. Ernesto is trapped, and while she doubted that the police would let her have a couple of swings at him with her boot, if she had any say in it she would make sure that he wouldn't see the light of day again.

"Senora Kahlo-"

"Please, call me Frida," she interrupted her. "You did dress up as me after all."

Imelda seriously doubted that was enough to call for a first name basis, but she wouldn't lose anything on it. "Frida. I need to get to de la Cruz. Can you help me?"

Frida's serious expression returned. "Of course mi amiga. Follow me."

Frida took her hand and lead Imelda though the crowd with ease. It helped that once the people noticed who exactly was looking for a pass they parted before them with admiration and wonder on their faces as if they were angels descending among them. This was Frida's influence. With a careful smile, head held high and back straight she was the picture of grace that demanded and deserved respect. Her alebrije was playful on her shoulder, snatching at the people's hat around him without any success getting his paws on some of the colorful feathers of old-fashioned ladies hats. Nobody seemed to mind it tho. 

That's when Imelda noticed that by being dragged behind Frida she too become the center of attention. And while no one recognized her while she was mixed in the crowd, she stood out now like a white dove among the grey. At least that's how she felt. That same wonder directed to the artist before her was directed also on Imelda. 

"That's her," she could hear them say.

"That's the senora, La Llorona."

"I would recognize her anywhere." 

For a moment she was uncertain. It felt as if she was back on stage having every eye on her. She wavered just for a minute, then pulled herself together and to a true Rivera fashion she straightened and she walked proudly behind the celebrity, aware of the fact that she was seen as one as well now.

At the foot of the bell the police put up a barricade. And when Imelda and Frida reached it a tall officer stood in their way.

"I'm sorry, senoras, but I can't let you past this point."

"Senor," Frida said "This is Senora Rivera. She want's to know what happened to Ernesto de la Cruz."

A spark of recognition lit up the officer's face. "You were there last night. On the show."

"Si," Imelda said "Officer, I have to know what happened with that- musico. The living boy he tried to murder is my great-great-grandson."

The officer's eyes opened wide. "Follow me, por favor."

Imelda and Frida glanced at each other, then they followed the officer over the barricade. They thought that he is going to lead them to Ernesto, instead he just took them further away from the crowd and the curious ears of the reporters. 

Now that they were alone the officer was more at ease to speak, however Imelda still could see some uneasiness in him. "Senora, you have to understand that this is an unusual case. Ernesto is trapped under the bell and as of yet he hadn't been taken into custody."

Trapped under a bell? If she remembered correctly, that was just how Ernesto died. Imelda couldn't help but to feel satisfaction over the news.

Frida smiled slyly. "Quiet the poetic justice."

"When will you be able to arrest him?" Imelda asked. The sooner he is behind bars the sooner she can sleep easily.

"As soon as the crowd quiets down," the officer said nodding "With so many people around we can't bring over equipment needed to lift the bell and to transport de la Cruz."

"And when will that be?"

"Hopefully soon, the others are already working on the crowd control. However, we would like if as few people saw this as possible," he became stern "We have no idea what shape de la Cruz is going to be in once we lift the bell. It might be disturbing." 

Imelda winced. She could imagine how Mexico's dearest musician must look right now. His bones are most likely crushed and broken, skull caved in, ribs snapped in half. Then she remembered how he was still well liked, even adored in the Land of the Living and whatever injuries he revived will heal in a heart beat thanks to the countless people who still held his memory dearly. She couldn't feel sorry for him for long.

"Senora," the officer continued "We will have to talk about pressing charges against de la Cruz."

That lit a flame in Imelda. Believe her, if she can help it Ernesto won't ever put a foot outside of a cell for the rest of his afterlife. He is going to pay for every crime he had committed again her family, for trying to kill Miguel, for killing Hector and stealing his music, for the hurt he had caused her and her family for a century. But before she could give voice to her thought the officer lifted a hand to stop her.

"I'm not the best man to talk about this," he said. "And now arresting de la Cruz takes precedence. But after someone will be sent to inform you, Senora Rivera."

"Gracias," Imelda nodded. It was just what she wanted to hear. 

Frida hooked her arm around hers. "We will leave you to your work now, officer. Gracias for this."

"Buenas tardes, senoras."

Frida led her thought the crowd out of the plaza and back to the comfort of the streets.

"I hope that's what you were looking for, Imelda."

"I was looking for smacking Ernesto with my boot," she admitted with a smile. "But this is just as good. Gracias, Frida."

"De nada. But there is something I have to ask as well."

Imelda looked at the artist with curiosity. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry if it's tactless, but," she stopped for a moment contemplating something that Imelda wasn't privy to. "How do you know, Hector? You don't seem like a woman who would come to know a man like him. No offence."

"None taken," Imelda sighed. She was right, Hector looked every bit of a nearly-forgotten skeleton that he was, all ragged and grayed bones. Not many would like to know a man like that, or even admit knowing someone like him.

"That's a long story," she said after a minute. "But a long time ago he was my husband."

She didn't expected the sadness that snuck into her voice. The proud part of her wanted to shake off Frida's hand on her shoulder. But she just let her.

"Was?" she asked gently as if she could feel that she is treading on a sensitive subject. "What happened, amiga?"

Imelda hesitated. This woman was practically a stranger, she only met her yesterday and even that couldn't be counted as a proper meeting. But maybe it would be nice to tell someone, someone who wasn't family, but still could be trusted. And Frida had helped them when there was nothing she could have gained from it. She met Miguel last night, and seemed to know Hector from way before. 

"Hector and I, we were in love," she said with a smile as she got lost in the memories of her and her husband. It was so long ago that she had allowed herself to think about those days, when everything was perfect. "He would play such wonderful songs, and I would dance to my heart's content. We had a daughter, our Coco."

She could see the smile appearing on Frida's face.

"But then, Ernesto convinced him to play for the world. It was an old dream of theirs. I never thought that he would choose music over our family," she said. "But one day he left and never returned. I banished him from the house and our family. And since then we have stayed apart."

"Until last night."

"Si," Imelda nodded. "Until last night."

"Maybe you should return to your family," Frida said. 

"Si. Buenas tardes, Frida."

"If you need an ear to listen, I'm here to provide, mi amiga."

Imelda left with an odd feeling in her chest. She felt both light and heavy. On one hand she was happy that Ernesto will be taken care of. And the sudden friendship with Frida - or more like an acquaintanceship at the moment - was oddly soothing. 

On the other hand there was everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all who read this and left kudos! You really make me happy! 
> 
> I hope I can bring you the next chapter soon. Until then leave a comment and tell me what you think.  
> Have a nice day!


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